I know the answer to the world's deepest secret," Graham Newsdon, a functioning alcoholic and Harvard medical student and the protagonist of Decoding the Phoenix, declares in the novel's opening page. After stumbling across a puzzling communication from his deceased Navy Seal brother, Graham must work to unravel a litany of secrets sobering in their implications not only for himself, but for the past twelve-thousand years of human history, the secrets of the universe, and even the nature of God.

Had he not, in his hungover state, opened the e-mail, Graham could have continued on his predetermined successful, if dysfunctional, path and never embarked on the paradigm-shifting journey that so loosens his grasp on reality and obliterates not only what he chooses to believe but what he trusts as fact. With the help of his long-term girlfriend, his quirky Mensan best friend, and his wild and athletic best girlfriend since childhood, he sets out to decode this complex cryptogram, which he soon discovers is charged with the potential to unhinge the very control that certain government officials are intent, at all costs, on maintaining.

In the vein of Dan Brown, MD Tchaves takes the reader on an electrifying hunt for what is real and what is possible, encountering along the way politics, conspiracy, fringe medicine, history, and language, and what it means to survive—thrive, even—when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Decoding the Phoenix is a 50,000-word thriller that proves that love and humor may not be the answer, but that without these variables there is no worthy solution to any challenging problem or improbable situation.

MD Tchaves is a storyteller who blends fact and fiction and religion and secret societies. Decoding the Phoenix is a natural outcropping of the author's degree in Language Literature and Criticism from Hunter College and interest in religion, politics, and fake news. The book is the first in a planned trilogy that offers readers the ability to engage with a codex distinct from the narrative and interpret a letter that possesses real-world relevance.

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This is an extremely well researched story. A very clever inter weaved story line which carries you along at a fast and enjoyable pace. A real page turner. I'm already looking forward to the sequel. If you like Dan Brown then this is right up there. Would happily recommend.

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The main idea of the book... Secret govt plots foiled by smart Alec but highly intelligent graduate students... Sounds good. And I liked the idea. But the execution was poor.

The entire book reads like a first draft of a book that needs 3 or 4 more drafts and edits. Poor character development, i didnt feel like i knew any of the characters at all. The Jean character makes no sense. The president and her advisers are all just kind of bumbling buffoons. The main character Graham is likable I guess but spends half the book in a drunken stupor while simultaneously solving the most implausible of riddles and taking down the US president in the process. His friends are 2 dimensional and are almost inconsequential to the overall story, outside of NP.

There are too many unnecessary subplots. The Jesuit angle makes no sense. The decoding jumps all over the place and makes leaps in logic that defy... Well... Logic. From astrology to Christianity and bible history to English plots to blow up Parliament to the lost city of Atlantis. I was waiting for an alien spaceship to arrive at any moment to put a bow on things. Throw in a little military brainwashing and a bizarre homicide of one of the main characters and you have the entire kitchen sink.

Way too much going on in this book, which amounts to a jumbled mess of a story. The sequel needs a very good editor.

5.0 out of 5 starsFrom start to finish Decoding the Phoenix, is a hell of a ride!

9 January 2019 - Published on Amazon.com

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Imagine waking up tomorrow to a tragedy. One that not only has you suffering from a personal loss but because of that loss, you find yourself questioning the very world you thought you knew!

When Harvard medical student Graham Newsdon’s older brother dies while in the military; Graham and his closest friends are thrown into a confusing and chaotic set of events and with each new mystery and revelation, it pushes them further and further down a rabbit hole that changes each of their lives forever!

“Decoding the Phoenix” reads like an action/ mystery that keeps you guessing; plunging the reader into a thrill a minute ride, shaking the foundations of reality by digging into the depths of cognitive dissonance!

This is one of the best books I've read. The mix of knowledge, humor and creative thinking is perfect. I had the pleasure of meeting the author at a book signing, and his knowledge and attention to detail is astounding. The book above all was interesting, a great read, and will get you thinking about what you think you know. I can't wait for his second book!

Few books have had an impact on my life like this one. I find myself wondering about the characters daily, about the secrets they have uncovered, about how those secrets impact our very lives. I definitely recommend this book to all curious minds that have ever pondered our existence, and enjoy a good laugh. It takes the reader on a roller-coaster of emotion, humor, anger, sadness, happiness and finally wondering. Tchaves has something here, something big... Eagerly awaiting books two and three.